Troy Dumais will dive into senior issues at expo

How can a grandson’s visit to an assisted-living facility turn into a wonderful bonus for visitors to the Health Expo at Cypress Place Active Senior Living facility?

When the managers at Cypress Place were deciding on a speaker for the Feb. 27 expo, one person remembered the young Ventura native who had visited Mary Bek, his grandmother.

Not only was he a loving grandson, but he won the bronze medal in men’s synchronized springboard diving at the 2012 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the World Championships. He also is the only U.S. male diver to have competed in four Olympics.

His name is Troy Dumais. He graduated from Buena High School in Ventura and has been diving for 24 years. When he visited Cypress Place, he caused quite a stir. Many residents flocked to him to hear his story and hear of his successes and training schedule of eight hours a day. Now that his days of diving are coming to an end, he plans to become a physical therapist.

The health expo at Cypress Place aims to give seniors the chance to find out about any health concerns. Blood pressure and cholesterol screenings will be given, as well as free balance and hearing tests.

Also, a local jeweler will visit and exchange unwanted gold for cash. Of course, Cypress Place believes everyone attending should receive a free healthful lunch.

Dumais will kick off the expo at 11 a.m. He will pose for photos and sign autographs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. All vendor booths will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Prizes will be given away throughout the event, including one grand prize of a 50-inch television. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public.

RSVP by calling 650-8000. Cypress Place is at 1200/1220 Cypress Point Lane in Ventura.

all in the wrist

I heard of something new and interesting last week that may help some readers. It is called psi (SY), which refers to pounds per square inch. It is an acupressure wrist band that brings nausea relief for people who can’t or don’t want to take medications. It looks like an inexpensive watch, and the pressure applied to the wrists is adjustable.

Acupressure bands are used by people who suffer nausea from morning sickness, motion sickness, chemotherapy or other reasons.

the vitality trio

Dr. Robert Butler, professor of geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, announced recently in a speech that people must do three things to keep their minds vital.

“The first is maintaining relationships and a good social support system,” Butler said.

The second is having a sense of purpose and passion. A person who has a reason to get up in the morning lives longer and better. Verdi composed “Othello” when he was 74, and Colonel Sanders of fried-chicken fame started his business when he was in his 70s.

“The third is using your head, and that doesn’t mean just doing crossword puzzles,” Butler said. “Use your brain to do something hard like learning a language or a musical instrument. People are still quite capable of learning new information well into their 90s. The more people open themselves to new information and experiences, the more the intellect stays moving and active.”

That is why I take classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. I am constantly challenged by new information and new ideas. I had never taken a class in psychology until I attended one given by Mark Rafter. He made it so interesting that I attended others given by him, and now I am quite at ease discussing the subject.

Margaret Nesbitt is a columnist for the Star. She can be reached by email at undeg@verizon.net.